


rivers in the dust

by illihee



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: i didn't tag corbin/missouri because he SUCKS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 11:01:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17980091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/illihee/pseuds/illihee
Summary: another series of memory drabbles, this time focusing on washington's territory days. may or may not be updated. title was inspired by the song rivers in the dust by radical face.happy 166th anniversary, wawa.





	rivers in the dust

__❝ Prepare then, say we, prepare ye men of Washington to throw up your hats and huzzah!  
We are triumphing o’re the tyranny and envy of an elder sister...a heavy heart and bitter spirit  
are encased within the form that bows with such obsequiousness, whilst we leave her in the distance  
and move onward and upward in our course. ❞

 

**⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⋆ 1852.**

 

“You’re getting rid of me at your own advantage.”

His voice didn’t crack, but impulsive words bubbled up from deep in Colin’s throat, the same way someone would if they had already let go and begun sobbing. He stood there with tight fists at his sides as his twin stood further down the hall, heels clicking on the floor at his pause. Elliot stared straight ahead, books and papers under one arm.  
“I may have been naive and sheltered, like you said, but I’m not stupid.” Colin squinted at the back of Elliot’s head, wasting no time in shooting him intensely aggravated glares. “The less land you have to take care of, the more likely a chance you have to win your own case for statehood, and what better way than to carve away the land everyone deems most useless? The most savage? Especially when it’s already petitioning to be let go of.” 

Elliot moved to hold his belongings to his chest slowly as Colin spoke, gaze roaming to the windows that filtered in sunlight and warmed the floor of the courthouse, cold from the chill of winter.   
“...why do you care what my motives are? We’d both be getting what we want.”  
“What a repulsive question.” Colin shot back, nearly hissing. “Why do I care? Have you looked in the mirror recently, Elliot? Or did you forget I existed, or hope that I’d just vanish?”  
The Oregonian child’s lips pursed momentarily.   
“Are you acting out because you’re scared? You’re not going to vanish.”  
“Oh, no. I’m not going _anywhere_.” 

Hearing the babble of politicians nearby, Colin moved closer, taking calculated steps towards his southern twin. Elliot peered over his shoulder, expression deteriorating from aloof to agitated as he took in the utterly sour way the other was staring at him.   
He had seen that in the past, but until now, he’d never been on the receiving end of it.   
It stung. He faced him and ignored it.  
“Go on. Cut me off. More power to you and the self-proclaimed democracy you’ve got in the works here. But don’t pity me. Don’t look at me with sad eyes and figure me hopeless. You’ve made the mistake of underestimating me, just like the Eastern Americans you wait hand and foot on.”  
Standing nearly toe-to-toe, Elliot noticed that his once identical brother was a fraction of an inch taller than him. He found himself lifting his eyes up ever so slightly to meet his incessant staring, stirring a feeling of uncertainty within him. 

_ What’s with this defiant attitude? What is going on up there? What did that state do to him?  _   
  
He clicked his tongue and took a step back. “So your idea of maturity is going out of your way to get in my face? What childish behavior. Talk down at Acelin if you’re that desperate for a playmate.”   
Before he could turn back around and be on his way, Colin gripped his shoulder, fingertips digging into the cloth of his shirt. Elliot’s eyes widened and he tugged his arm away, though with not enough strength to pull his sleeve from the other’s curled fingers.    
“You, most of all, are going to regret this.” 

Elliot grit his teeth and jerked his arm with more intent, ripping it from away from Colin and sending one of his books falling to the floor. The loud clap of its heavy cover against the wood hushed men in the rooms adjacent.   
“Alright then, pick a fight! It was a mistake to believe you’d go about this quietly, but you’ve made it obvious you have no intention of growing up and minding your business!”   
“You made me your business, Elliot!” Colin’s shouting echoed, prompting heads to poke out of their respective offices. “You dragged me into this mess! You started the fight when you began making decisions for me! I wouldn’t be standing here fighting for recognition from men thousands of miles away if it weren’t for your sense of entitlement and righteousness!” 

Breathing out heavily through his nose, Colin pushed past Elliot, carrying himself with a lifted chin to the door outside. “I am not Tuality. I am not Clackamas. I am not Oregon. I am  _ Columbia  _ and you and I will be representing each other no longer. Mitlite pe kloshe nanitch.”  
Elliot swallowed thickly, waiting silently for the sound of the door opening and closing. Once it slammed shut he lowered himself to his knees carefully, leaning over to collect the book that had fallen.  _ The Iowa Code.  _   
Tears fell on the cloth binding before someone saw that he was trembling and scurried out of their doorway to help him up, rambling something about resting in the governor’s parlor, but it was in one ear and out the other. He bit his lip as he was pushed in the opposite direction of Colin’s grand exit.

_ I already regret everything. _

**⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⋆ 1854.**

A young man bearing a head of dirty strawberry blonde hair stood at the far end of the room, shuffling papers on a lacquered podium that reflected flickering candlelight and glass oil lamps that lined the long table in front of him.  
“We’re holding this year’s meeting a bit later in the legislative season to give us all room to breathe after a number of changes...”

Colin sat tall in his chair, hands clasped neatly in front of him. Though he was intently focused on Alfred, the man speaking, he could tell a few of the thirty-something states and other territories were staring him down and whispering amongst themselves.  _ Who is that redhead? _ He caught not far from where he was seated, but he didn’t break his focus to look in their direction.  
He’d find out who was who soon enough. Some of them, in fact, he already knew.

“...since our last meeting, our family has grown. Our thirty-first star of empire, first flanking the Pacific Ocean. California, would you please stand?”  
The surrounding states broke into applause for a boy that rose to his feet not far from where Colin sat. Tan from the sun, dark brown hair like the bark of giant sequoias, but vibrant blue eyes that just so happened to meet Colin’s gaze of emerald green. He offered a faint, sheepish smile in solidarity and in relief that he didn’t have to share the _entire_ west coast with his estranged twin.  
California settled back in as the round of applause slowed and Alfred continued. 

“In addition, we are lucky to welcome territories new to the Union. Though they have been with us for a while now in spirit, today they find themselves seated among their brothers and sisters for the first time.” Alfred flit a somewhat intimidating look at a group of states sitting together. Colin followed and noticed one state in particular  – rusty haired with steely eyes and a rather broad nose – was halfway to scowling, consoled quietly by the heavily freckled state sitting beside him.  
“I am aware some of you have traveled west to greet them personally, but for those of you who who have not, I ask that Oregon and Washington Territories please stand.”   
Unfaltering and in sync, Colin and Elliot, who sat on the other side of the table, stood. The states again erupted into applause — this time though, he swore, just a little louder. He noticed the loudest of the clapping came from the direction of the midwestern states, and when he tilted his head to look, he saw Maxton grinning. He beamed back and waved, heart swelling with not just pride, but affection for the Prairie State he looked up to.   
  
_ Which one is Colin?  _ __  
_ The one on the left is Elliot.  _ __  
_ Weren’t they one Oregon Country? _ __  
_ Why did they split? They’re obviously twins.  _ _  
_ ___I wonder if those poor boys know the mess they’re getting into._

Colin was so fixated on the Illinoisan that he registered none of the chatting, and apparently didn’t see that Elliot was awkwardly watching him. He did, however, see the two boys his age that sat between Max and a man he assumed was Missouri; they appeared to be twins as well. As the Washingtonian sat back down, the blonde of the two began to bounce in his chair, paying no mind to anyone else. 

“Recently, long unorganized territory in the Midwest incorporated into newer territories. Among them are Nebraska–”   
The blonde shot up so fast it seemed for a moment as though he might lose his balance and stumble over. His much shier counterpart slowly pushed away from the table and stood beside him.   
“–and Kansas.”

**⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⋆ 1863.**

Ninety degrees was a lot for Colin to handle the summer he spent traveling with Idaho Territory’s first appointed governor from Steilacoom to Lewiston. Across Washington Territory he had ridden in the dry heat, likening it to the incessant warmth of a strong fire in the leather journal that accompanied him along the way. Not even inside the Hotel de France in Lewiston did the Seattleite find refuge from the stifling heat; he stood there in the lobby, fanning himself like a flustered belle.  
Being east of the Cascades felt like diving right in to another country, completely apart from his state. Here the fiddlers sang _Yankee Doodle_ and _Battle Hymn of the Republic_ rather than _Pop Goes the Weasel_ in Chinook Jargon and _Old Grey Mare_ with lyrics swapped in homage to clam digging on Bellingham Bay. The men here were antsy, quicker to stake their claim, louder and more pushy than their western counterparts.

Former counterparts, anyways. Though reluctant at first, Idaho shed itself from Washington and for the first time stood on its own two feet, hustling and bustling with the potent mining industry that drew settlers to and fro from all over the nation. By the time he and Governor Wallace had finally made it to Lewiston, over half of its population had flocked south to Boise in hopes of striking it rich in gold, but still the dirt roads and businesses were buzzing with activity.    
  
When Colin listened beyond the medley of the fiddles, he caught glimpses of conversations ranging from the movement of the local band of Nez Perces to the Oregon Cavalry and Washington Volunteer Infantry stationed at nearby Fort Lapwai, but among the voices he heard the faint laughter of children younger than himself.    
_ I hope the families here will be alright.  _ __  
He smiled faintly and closed his eyes, leaning against a column that stood beside the velvet carpeting of the entrance.  _ Jeez, it’s so hot here...I wonder what the weather is like at home… _ __  
“–sneak attack?”   
“–did he go?–came with–”   
The giggling and voices they belonged to got closer. Colin opened his eyes again and looked up to scan the crowd of people lounging around in the lobby, but none seemed to be moving towards him.    
“Over there!”   
“Where?!”

Before he could turn around, two boys roared as ferociously as they could and threw themselves at Colin’s sides, clinging to him and burying their bright smiles into his shirt. Colin squeaked and stumbled a bit but managed to steady himself, grabbing the collars of the boys’ shirts to keep them from falling over into the column.   
He recognized them immediately; one head of amber blonde – Acelin – and one of curly black, Avery.   
“You guys surprised me!” He laughed, ruffling their locks as they peered up at him with grins that were missing a couple teeth per kid.   
“Good.” Acelin wrapped his arms around his older brother’s waist, squishing his freckled cheek against him. “Avery wanted to see you, but I said we should surprise you first.” Avery fidgeted sheepishly, glancing first at the Eastern Washingtonian and then up at Colin.   
“How was your trip over?”   
“Oh, long. And hot,” Colin hummed, patting their shoulders and nudging them in the direction of an open table and group of chairs. “But I believe we made good time. It was nice seeing the Columbia and the coulees. This is very fine country.”  
  
Avery climbed up into his own chair, but Acelin insisted hopping into Colin’s lap. He made himself comfortable, leaning back into the ginger’s chest as he continued.   
“I should make more trips out here, but there’s so much going on in Olympia...ah, if I leave something important may happen while I’m gone.”  
“It’s okay. I understand,” Avery nodded, kicking his legs idly with his hands in his lap. “Lewiston is far away...and with everyone moving south towards Boise, I can imagine travel will be even harder once the trail splits off. It’s getting dangerous, too…”  
He trailed off, leaning over to fold his arms on top of his knees. “All this talk of war out east kind of scares me. I’m sure you know they’ve sent soldiers from Oregon and Washington to Lapwai…”  
  
Colin nestled his chin on top of Acelin’s head, using his hand to fan them both. “Don’t worry about the war. You’ll be okay. We have nothing to do with it and I will continue to see to it that no one gets us involved, not even the sore politicians they sent over here to govern us.”   
Avery perked up a little. He seemed relieved and spoke softly.   
“...I was afraid splitting would mean you weren’t my friend anymore, Colin. After you became a territory you didn’t talk to Elliot anymore, so I…”  
The older stopped fanning Acelin to hold him closer, offering Avery a sympathetic, gentle look as he gestured the Idahoan over. He slid out of his seat and in beside Acelin, while Colin ran his fingers through his loose curls and planted a kiss on top of his head.   
“Don’t be silly. You’re one of my closest friends, Avery — and Acelin, you’re my little brother. None of that will ever change, territory lines or not. I love you.”

He meant those words either way, really and truly, but different parts of Colin battled over where they came from; out of a desire to make up for the kindness he was not shown, or to console himself?   
  
“You promise you’ll keep us safe no matter what?”   
“I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> "Mitlite pe kloshe nanitch" is Chinook Jargon, a language Colin and Elliot share, and translates to "wait and you will see".


End file.
